The New Jersey Devils went into the 2024-25 season as outside candidates to get to the Stanley Cup Final. They really fixed their defense by adding Brett Pesce, Johnny Kovacevic, and Brenden Dillon in the offseason, they got tougher with Stefan Noesen and Paul Cotter, and most importantly, they fixed the goaltending with the Jacob Markstrom trade. They also replaced Lindy Ruff with Sheldon Keefe, which was a big upgrade.
Unfortunately, the second half of the season did not go well. By the time the Stanley Cup Playoffs came around, the Devils were not considered contenders. Jack Hughes was out with yet another shoulder injury. The defensemen had ligaments that were barely hanging on. They were taking on a Carolina Hurricanes team that had everything to gain. It was an awful situation.
The Devils said they are going to make it a point to upgrade their team this offseason. They can do that through trade or free agency. Today, let's focus on free agency. For this exercise, assume the Devils "made it work" to go for it in 2026.
1. Sam Bennett
We do not love the thought that Sam Bennett is years four through seven of a potential deal. Paying a 33-year-old Bennett $8+ million per season is enough to give you heartburn. Yet, the Devils would be much closer to a Stanley Cup if they had Bennett on the roster. He has the toughness the Devils are working towards and can score 20-30 goals in a season. He steps up in the playoffs, and he'd round out the Devils' top six nicely. While the price tag is scary, it unequivocally makes the Devils better in 2026.
2. John Tavares
Bennett by default makes the Devils' forwards better, but the bottom six is still a mess. To fit in Bennett, the Devils need to find a taker for Ondrej Palat's contract. That would give them enough room to add to the bottom six on top of adding Bennett. Still, they'd need to make more room to fit Tavares, but there's no doubt he would make them insanely better. Putting Tavares as the third-line center, while giving them Jack Hughes insurance, would be a slam dunk move. Think about these forward lines.
Gritsyuk - Hughes - Bratt
Bennett - Hischier - Meier
Cotter - Tavares - Mercer
Halonen - Glass - Noesen
That is a lineup that could win a Stanley Cup. It's four really good lines that don't give opponents any shifts off. They can really execute Keefe's system to a T. Tavares knows what he needs to do, and he might even take a slightly lower salary to play for Keefe. Sure, he's likely to re-sign in Toronto, but until it happens, the Devils have a shot.
3. Brian Dumoulin
This one isn't crazy, but the Devils need defensive depth to survive this season. With all of their defensive injuries in the playoffs, they needed all hands on deck. Brian Dumoulin played more than 29 minutes per game in the playoffs because it was the skating wounded at the time. Johnny Kovacevic is going to miss part or all of next season with a knee injury. Luke Hughes got shoulder surgery. Dougie Hamilton is recovering from an injury, as well. Bringing back Dumoulin would absolutely help them in the playoffs, even if it puts them in a logjam on paper.
This is a short-term push that might have long-term pressure, but with the rising salary cap and moving the right pieces around, the Devils could put their chips on the table for 2026. The great part about free agency is the Devils don't lose young assets, so they can move veterans in later years and still keep their window open.